HANG TIME NEW JERSEY — USA Basketball announced its pool of 28 players that will make up the rosters for the 2014 World Cup of Basketball in Spain and the 2016 Olympics in Brazil. The roster, which includes 11 of the 12 players from the 2012 Olympic gold medalists (Kobe Bryant is the only exception), can be seen below.

Some things to know about the roster:

Note the word “initial” in the press release. Names could certainly be added to the roster between now and 2016. Players get hurt and have things that come up and keep them from participating. Also, there are no rookies or college kids on the list, and USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo may want to bring a couple of young guys into the fold down the line.

The lack of continuity and stability were the USA’s weaknesses from 1998-2006, but have been strengths over the last several years. Even when the U.S. went to Turkey in 2010 with a new roster, the coaching staff was taking part in its fourth international competition and had a system in place. That coach Mike Krzyzewski is back for another run and so many players continue coming back is huge.

If the U.S. doesn’t win the World Cup later this year, they will have to participate in the FIBA Americas tournament in 2015 to qualify for the Olympics. After winning the Olympics in 2008, the World Championship in 2010, and the Olympics again in 2012, the U.S. has skipped the FIBA Americas tournament in 2009, ’11 and ’13.

If a player isn’t in the pool, it doesn’t necessarily mean that Colangelo and Krzyzewski didn’t want him. It’s possible that they asked and he declined.

Exactly half of the 28 players have experience in a major international competition. Blake Griffin was on the 2012 Olympic Team, but suffered a knee injury in training camp and was replaced by Anthony Davis. Colangelo often speaks of players earning “equity” with the program, so guys that have been on the roster before certainly have an advantage over those who haven’t.

Players’ NBA positions are listed below, but those aren’t necessarily their positions with the U.S. Team, which typically plays just one big man at a time and often has two point guards on the floor. LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony are power forwards, Love is a center, and Russell Westbrook is sometimes a small forward. The team wants to play fast and aggressive, especially on defense.

In 2008, ’10 and ’12, the team carried just three true bigs on the roster. There are 10 in the pool, including four with Olympic gold medals.

Players who were at last summer’s mini-camp that aren’t on the roster: Ryan Anderson, Harrison Barnes, Mike Conley, DeMar DeRozan, Derrick Favors, Jrue Holiday, DeAndre Jordan, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Ty Lawson, Greg Monroe, Chandler Parsons, Dion Waiters, Kemba Walker, John Wall and Tyler Zeller. It’s a testament to how deep the point guard position is that Conley, Holiday, Lawson and Wall aren’t in the pool. Rockets beat writer Jonathan Feigentweeted Wednesday that Parsons was not happy about his exclusion.

The field for the 2014 World Cup of Basketball can be seen here. The four wildcard teams (there were 15 applicants) will be announced on Saturday, Feb. 1. Spain, playing at home, is obviously the U.S. Team’s biggest threat.

There are so much hating in this comment section. Some players are better than other players but they are trying to get players that are fit to the international games. The usab won 2 Olympic gold & a fiba world cup in the last 6 years. I don’t think we need to question coach k & colangelo’s decisions.

Beal? Hayward? Thompson? Korver? Cmon NBA there are way better players who deserve a spot on this list. Yeah like wall, rondo, hibbert, and ill even throw in mike conely too. Defense wins games. These guys have great d.

Quit your whining people! We all know players like Rose, Tyson Chandler, Deron Williams won’t be healthy enough to make it. I would replace Rose with John Wall, replace Chandler with Ryan Anderson but he’s not healthy so then it would be Greg Monroe, and I would replace D-Will with Mike Conley because he plays on-ball defense.

And congratz to Cousins for making it! All these ignorant people just listen to the media without actually watching any games and think his attitude hasn’t changed. Sure he leads the NBA in techs but he’s under much better control now with the right coaching and the departure of the Maloofs.

John Wall is a Ball-hog? His teammates don’t step up so he has to lead the charge all the time. And you are EXTREMELY mistaken if you say he is not good enough DEFENSIVELY. He is top 3 in steals in the league as well as blocks among guards. You just got taken to school Michael, how do’ya feel?

Why in the WORLD is John Wall not in this? He is more deserving than half the people on the roster, and don’t use that excuse “the guard position is too deep” Please Wall has outplayed Deron Willliams, DRose, Irving, Korver, and even his teammate Beal! This is honestly so outrageous. Derozan isn’t even in the mix either! Can someone please explain this, because Wall DEFINITELY deserves to be in this. #WALLin

John Wall is too much of a ball hog and doesn’t play good defensively to be on this team. Westbrook doesn’t get very much playing time because of his ball stopping ways but he’s a defensive necessity at the position Cousins will be dismissed because of his attitude.

I would have included Chandler Parsons over Kyle Korver, Kawhi Leonard, Gordon Hayward, Tyson Chandler, Kenneth faried, Bradley Beal, Deron Williams (he hasn’t been good the past 3 years), and DeMarcus Cousins (guy has the talent for sure, but that attitude needs to go. This isn’t a place for him to learn). Parsons should get in when D-Will and Tyson Chandler are both hurt as usual. The only reason those two guys are on the list is because they were there before.